FEA: Eleven light equipment and tableware trends

Eleven trends in light equipment and tableware
Here’s some of what we learnt at the LET Forum 2025

FEA’s Light Equipment and Tableware Forum is the place to find out about the very latest kitchen gizmos and designer tableware trends.  Here’s some of what we learnt at the 2025 edition, held on 20^th and 21^st May at the Oxford Belfry Hotel. 

Colours: pastel, pastel everywhere (especially light blue and sage green), with earthy tones complemented by organic shapes. 

Food waste: lots of discussion on this subject, along with new products and ideas.  Portioners are a case in point: buyers used to talk about them in terms of cost control, now it’s as much about reducing food waste.  Either way, accurate portion control is a win-win.  A win-win-win if you add in the health benefits or stricter portions.  And speaking of health….

Fast food and pizza pizzaz: QSRs, Grab and Go and takeaways are the growth areas, along with pizza (loads of pizza-related launches at the Forum).  What’s health got to do with it?  Operators (and consumers) are increasingly after healthier fast food, hence low– and no–fat cooking ideas. 

Sharing: remember how big it was just before covid?  Well people are getting over their fear of sharing and it’s back, with big plates and platters in myriad materials, shapes and colours. 

Lower prices:  quite a few suppliers have lowered their prices, some for promotions, permanently, and are seeing the benefit in terms of increased sales.  Good news for buyers. 

Metal and copper: surely not copper, we hear you say.  Every year we expect it to fade, but every year is keeps selling.   Gold, too, especially for some of the ethnic food sectors.  Meanwhile metal products are getting a hammering, literally: hammered finishes are everywhere. 

Melamine marches on: and on.  More and more sectors (even high-end) are using melamine, especially as the quality gets better, with modern pieces having a texture and heft very like ceramics. 

Cutlery: quite a mix here, with matt finishes (stonewashed, sandblasted, satin and velvet) still increasing in sales.    There’s also demand for coloured flatware and more unusual designs, such as collections aimed at ethnic restaurants. 

Market JIT-ters: ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ was a phrase used more than once at the Forum.  Buyers are looking at quality and buying better, buying smarter.  However, they’re also taking their time to make decisions but, once made, they want the products fast – it’s back to Just In Time.  Which is why suppliers are trying to improve stock levels and logistics handling. 

Hot chocolate: well, it’s been brewing for a while.  We’ve had extensive coffee menus, a cornucopia of teas and infusions, and now hot choc is on the move, with more discerning chocolate drinkers encouraging suppliers to develop new drinking chocolate-related products.

Sustainability: is ever more important, with operators looking for eco-friendly products and traceability (FEA’s Embodied Carbon Hub at fea.org.uk has insight here).  The Forum saw lots of products made from recycled materials and energy saving equipment. 

The LET Forum is organised by the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA), the independent, authoritative voice of the foodservice equipment industry.  The association’s LET Group also publishes a regular newsletter, Tabletop Trends, which is available free via email.  For more about the Forum or Tabletop Trends contact FEA through fea.org.uk or #FEAuk.